The Big Blind (Nadia Wolf) (9 page)

My legs were a little unsteady when I sat down.

The man sitting next to me inspected me with a quizzical gaze. “Dude, I thought he only dated models.”

The power zapped and sizzled leaving us in complete darkness.

“Please stay calm and remain in your seats,” the host instructed. “The lights will be restored as soon as possible. Security staff will bring flashlights to assist.”

The chatter from the audience was quiet at first and then grew louder.

“Nadia?” A hand touched my arm.

“Caleb?”

“Yeah, are you okay?”

“Of course.”

He plucked me from the chair and took my seat. His strong hands guided me down on to his lap. His finger traced up my arm to my shoulder and then stopped at my neck. As his thumb massaged the side of my neck, I stifled the urge to kick him and let the sensation relax me.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Passing the time the best way I know.”

“You sucked out on me with a seven-two.”

“I know. I’m really sorry.”

“I was the bubble. I hate being the bubble!”

“I’ll make it up to you.”

“How?”

He pressed his lips to mine.

I pushed him back. “I would rather have my ten thousand buy-in back.”

He wrapped his arms around me. A jolt hit me in the stomach as he traced my bottom lip with the tip of his tongue. I slightly parted for him, and he took advantage parting my lips further and explored. His tongue played against mine. His hands ran up and down my back grazing the side of my breast with each pass making me press into his lap.

“You’re not playing fair,” he said into my neck as he nibbled a trail down to my shoulders.

“Neither are you.”

“Is the wager still on?”

The lights buzzed and then flickered on. I squinted at the sudden brightness trying to move away from Caleb.

The man next to us frowned at me then Caleb. “What the hell, man? I thought you were into hot chicks.”

Caleb was about to answer when a gasp from the audience startled us. The one million dollar cash prize was missing . . . and a man was sprawled on the floor.

Chapter 6

Caleb stood me up so he could move out of the chair. He gave me one last kiss. “Meet me at the bar later. I have a feeling I might get wrapped up in this.”

I nodded.

The tournament director escorted the audience into a separate room off to the side. The police arrived at the site within fifteen minutes. They began to let people go one-by-one after they gave their personal information and were asked a couple of questions. I waited until the end.

I watched as Caleb talked with Greyson Miller, Jason Biggs, and the tournament director. Each one was wearing a different version of the same stunned expression.

From where I stood, I could see the medical team move around the man on the floor. A slight gap gave me a glimpse of the man. I noticed a cowboy hat and realized it was the man with the cowboy hat from the previous day; the one Remy said was bad news. He was lying on the floor, but there wasn’t any blood. The EMTs moved him onto a gurney and rushed him out. I wonder if he had a heart attack.

I gave my information to the police and was released. I headed to the bar to wait for Caleb.

Caleb spotted me at the bar after he was finished with the police and the casino management. He quickened his pace to dodge Jessica. She was hot on his tail buzzing in his ear. I could hear her terse comments from where I sat.

“You’re going to ruin your reputation. You can’t kiss a regular girl on air.”

He stopped abruptly. “That’s funny. I was under the impression I could kiss who I wanted. A man died tonight, and my prize was stolen. Can’t you give me a break?”

“Not when you have a reputation to uphold.”

“That’s a reputation you made for me not one I wanted,” he said, but a small smile escaped. “It was fun in the beginning.” He turned from Jessica. “Nadia, let’s go.”

I grabbed my purse. “Where are we going?”

“To celebrate, of course.” His lips curled into a sly grin. “If you’re still up for the wager, we can start our weekend.”

I followed him through the casino. “So, the guy is dead?”

“Yeah, I think so. The medical team wasn’t getting a response.”

“What happened to your money?”

“Oh, that’s no problem. I already have a check.”

“Did you know the guy who died?”

“A little. He’s a hot headed player.”

“Remy told me he was bad news.”

“Who’s Remy.”

“Greyson Miller’s driver.”

Caleb stopped in his tracks. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you seeing Greyson?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“It is if you’re coming with me this weekend.”

“If I was seeing Greyson, I would hope he’d recognize me at the event you dragged me to.”

“Good point.” He slid his hand down my back drawing me closer. “However, I barely recognized you when you were in a dress and all dolled up.”

“But you did.”

Caleb leaned in and nipped my bottom lip. “You never answered about this weekend.”

“You said if I watched the final table you’d forget about the wager.”

“The problem is I can’t forget about the wager.”

“Those are your hormones talking.”

“Most likely but they’re telling me to make a new wager.”

“No way! There isn’t any thing I want that would make me wager with
you
.”

“I’ll take that challenge.” He grinned as he ushered me out the door.

The valet jogged to Caleb’s Porsche. He tossed Caleb the keys after he parked at the curb and hopped out. Caleb dropped the keys into my hand.

“Care to wager now?”

“You would wager your Porsche?”

“If you win, you keep the Porsche. If I win, I want a weekend with you of my choosing, and I pick the location.”

“Location?” I gulped.

Caleb’s lips curled into a dirty sexy smile making me break into a hot sweat. “I have plans for you.”

Crap!
I was actually beginning to think this was a good idea. My car was broken and I had no money to fix it. Caleb was a temptation waiting to be explored.

I swallowed. “Isn’t this a little close to prostitution?”

He chuckled. “Don’t cheapen it. I want you, and I know you want me. There’s nothing wrong with this. I could easily get into your bed, but I want to win you.”

“You can’t get into my bed that easily.”

Caleb’s eyes sparked as he lifted the keys out of my hand and ushered me into his car. He drove me home as my foot nervously tapped.

Why am I putting myself through this? Yes, he’s unbelievably mouth-watering hot, and he’s a likeable guy . . . for the most part. I don’t need a mouth-watering hot man. I have poker, Gus, and the chapel. My insides groaned at my life laid out on the operating table for all to dissect. As it laid there, it didn’t look very appetizing.

Caleb pulled into a parking spot in front of the chapel and turned off the engine. He was out of the car and around to my side before I even realized we arrived. He opened the door, and I slid out to follow him.

I could stop this right now. I could tell him that I didn’t want him or his car. I could tell him a lot of things that were untrue. As we stepped up the final stair to my apartment landing, he slid my keys out of my pocket and opened the door.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to prove,” I said.

Caleb shut the door behind me taking me into his arms. He leaned his head down and captured my mouth with his. His lips parted mine.

I couldn’t let him win this. It’s a challenge to him. I’ll stay strong, I thought. Unfortunately, I moaned at the same time. His warm hand had traveled up the inside of my shirt where he cupped my breast. His thumb circled around my nipple. I can’t stay strong. This isn’t going to work. He’s going to win; he always wins.

“Do you need more convincing?” he asked.

I glared at him. “No.”

“So, the wager is back on?”

Damn, I wanted him
and
his car. I nodded.

“Meet me at the casino tomorrow at three. I’ll be in the high stakes room. We’ll play one hand. Winner takes all.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Good. Walk me downstairs. I’m afraid of bumping into Frankie.”

“Frankie is harmless.”

“So you say, but he was eyeing me up like a candy dish last night.”

So was I.

I escorted Caleb to the door where he gave me a light kiss goodbye. He hopped in his car, hopefully to become my car, and drove off. I turned to hoof it back upstairs.

“There you are,” Frankie said.

I jumped and clutched my heart. “Did you need me?”

“We need to go over your routine for the gig tomorrow.”

I rolled my eyes. “What time is the show?”

“It’s at seven, but you’ll need to arrive a little early for a walk through and short rehearsal. Everyone there is professional, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“What did you need me to do?”

“Just your crazy card tossing tricks.”

“How many minutes do I have to fill?”

“They said fifteen minutes but you should have a few tricks up your sleeve in case the magician needs more time.”

“I’ll do the boomerang, cascade, waterfall, two-arm spread, the twirl, and I’ll finish up with the one handed twirl with the three-card juggle in the other hand.”

“Have you learned any more tricks?”

“Frankie, I learned these when I was a teenager and had no life.”

He eyed me. “Nothing’s changed.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Don’t get huffy. You’re just mad because it’s true,” he said.

“You’re probably right.” There was no arguing with Frankie. I didn’t have the energy to try.

“Make sure to grab your outfit for the performance tomorrow,” he said, pointing to a garment bag hanging on the door.

“I’m afraid to look.”

“It will be perfect. We can use it again for future gigs.”

“Can you at least let me choose the gigs? I don’t want to look like a fool. It’s hard to play poker against people when they’re laughing at you.”

“No need to worry. We are going to transcend poker. We are going to bring it to a whole new level of entertainment.”

“You’re scaring me.”

“Trust me. I made this chapel a success, and I can make you a success. Stick with me kid. By the way, where’s my Rocky outfit?”

I groaned. “I’ll call Steffi and see if she can locate it.”

I grabbed the garment bag and trudged up to my apartment. I set the bag on the kitchen table. I didn’t have the courage to open it.

I took a taxi to the casino to meet Caleb in the high stakes room. This was a room I rarely had the chance to see the inside. While Caleb spent most of his time here, I was at the low stakes tables barely scraping by. It would cost me a one hundred thousand dollar buy in to sit at the table in this room.

Caleb was at the table with two cards placed upside down in front of him. His fingers shuffled his chips. He was in a hand with two other players waiting for one of them to make a call. His eyes flicked to me when I entered but didn’t acknowledge me since he was still in a hand. I plopped down in an overstuffed chair in the corner and waited.

The rules in high stakes Texas Hold’em are the same as the ones on the casino floor. The difference is dealers here are allowed to modify rules requested by players as long as the table is in agreement. The players here are in their own type of club. They know each other and have fun, but they can be cut-throat serious too. They also come up with amusing side bets to liven the game.

I once witnessed them bet on whether or not Jerry Reiger’s mom had made him a pastrami sandwich or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They were allowed to sniff his backpack and then had to make the bet. What I want to know is why a thirty-eight year old man needs his mom to make him a sandwich?

I gazed up to find Caleb standing next to me. “Ready?”

“What are we playing?”

“High card.”

“Really? That’s it?”

“Are you disappointed?”

“Well, it’s not terribly original.”

“Alright, should we take a vote from the guys?”

“We might as well. I’m assuming they’re making a side bet on us anyways.”

Caleb grinned. “They’ve been talking about it for hours now.”

I groaned.

“Are you guys going to get on with it or what?” Jerry asked.

“We’re trying to determine what game we should play,” Caleb said.